The four-day programme targeted facilitators from the governorates of Beni Suef, Assiut, and Fayoum, focusing on population, health, and violence against women. Nashwa Mostafa, Acting Director of the Financial Inclusion programme at the NCW, underscored the importance of equipping facilitators with clear and effective messages delivered through the “Dawar” sessions. She also announced plans to expand the training programme to all governorates. The programme included a series of awareness sessions addressing family planning, safe motherhood, proper nutrition, and the dangers of female circumcision. Population and health issues were discussed from both medical and religious perspectives.

The event opened with remarks by Marwa Alameldeen, Officer-in-Charge of UN Women Egypt; Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt; and Counselor Amal Ammar, President of the National Council for Women. Let us honor the women who paved the way, support the women leading today, and inspire the girls who will shape our tomorrow. Egypt’s future—like the future of our world—is brighter, fairer, and more prosperous when women lead.”In her opening remarks, Counselor Amal Ammar expressed her appreciation for participating in an event that brought together a distinguished group of national and international women leaders. She also stressed the importance of intergenerational leadership, affirming her commitment to mentoring young women, just as she herself was supported by pioneering women leaders. The event was attended by prominent women leaders from the private sector and civil society, as well as public figures from the media and film industries.

Abdallah made the remarks while attending the signing ceremony of a partnership agreement between the Fund and Misr Life Insurance Company to implement the “Misr Ma‘akom” initiative. The agreement was signed by Ahmed Mohamed El-Ashaal, Executive Director of the Fund for Honouring Martyrs, and Mostafa El-Qammash, Managing Director and CEO of Misr Life Insurance Company. “We will spare no effort to ensure that the Fund is fully equipped to provide dignified and well-deserved care to its beneficiaries,” the Governor said. Disbursements will be made to beneficiaries once they reach the age of 21, ensuring long-term financial security and stability. He described the partnership as a national duty and a moral responsibility toward the children of Egypt’s martyrs and injured.

The Egyptian consumer finance sector recorded unprecedented growth during the first 10 months of 2025, with outstanding balances reaching EGP 74.9bn, a year-on-year increase of 61.6%, according to the Egyptian Federation for Consumer Finance (EFCF). This framework has enabled consumer finance companies to respond to rising demand while ensuring transparency, consumer protection, and prudent risk management. “The consumer finance sector today is built on a strong and structured partnership with the banking system,” Osama said. “Advanced data analytics, integration across multiple databases, and real-time fraud-monitoring systems have transformed the way consumer finance operates,” Farid said. Looking ahead to 2026The EFCF said that 2026 will represent the next phase in the evolution of Egypt’s consumer finance sector.

Commercial International Bank – Egypt (CIB), the largest private-sector bank in Egypt, continues to play a leading role in advancing banking capabilities across the African continent, marking the graduation of the third cohort of the East Africa Banking Credit Programme. The milestone reflects CIB’s ongoing commitment to nurturing young talent and promoting the exchange of banking expertise between Egypt and Kenya. Spanning six consecutive months, the third edition of the programme delivered intensive, specialized training covering core banking principles, with a strong focus on credit fundamentals and technology-driven banking solutions. Participants also received hands-on training in credit analysis, risk assessment, and sound lending decision-making, equipping them with practical skills aligned with international banking standards. The graduates are expected to play an active role in strengthening institutional capabilities and supporting sustainable growth within the sector.

That’s fueling concerns around an AI bubble — worries that the hype around and spending on AI is out of sync with its true value. Subsequent generations of AI chips are also rapidly improving and becoming more efficient, meaning it might not be economical to continue running AI workloads on older chips even if they’re functional. “There’s the demand for generative AI from individual users … but that’s not enough for these large AI companies to recoup their investment costs,” he said. Michael Burry, the famed investor behind “The Big Short,” recently warned of an AI bubble. But the AI bubble — if it’s real — would be a different situation, said Paul Kedrosky, managing partner at investment firm SK Ventures.

Foreign ministers from more than 50 African nations and Russia convened in Cairo on Saturday to begin drafting the 2026-2029 strategic action plan, a roadmap aimed at deepening continental cooperation ahead of the third Russia-Africa Summit. The second ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was chaired by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, alongside his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio, the current chair of the African Union. The gathering serves as a “practical step” toward executing the current 2023-2026 plan while initiating a constructive dialogue for the subsequent period to achieve regional security and development. On the economic front, the Egyptian Foreign Minister described the partnership as a vital mechanism for supporting the African Union’s Agenda 2063. For his part, Sergey Lavrov delivered a message from President Vladimir Putin to the forum, while Tete Antonio delivered a speech on behalf of the African Union.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual marathon press conference is perhaps best summarized as a mashup of a municipal board meeting and geopolitical talkfest. Perhaps with that aid package in mind, Putin was pretty unsparing in his remarks on the war. Putin’s press conference lasted more than four hours. Back in 2022, Putin used a longstanding grievance about NATO expansion after the end of the Cold War to make his case for going to war against Ukraine. On Friday, Putin complimented Trump for his efforts to end the war, saying the American president was “making serious efforts to end the conflict.”It is as yet unclear how sincere Putin is about ending the same war.

Arab health ministers honored Ahmed Taha, head of Egypt’s General Authority for Healthcare Accreditation and Regulation, after he received the Arab Doctor Award for 2025 for excellent governance in managing and enhancing health systems. The award was given during the 63rd regular session of the Arab Health Ministers Council, held in Tripoli, Libya, and led by Egypt’s Health and Population Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, according to a press release from the authority. The authority said the honor recognizes Taha’s role in strengthening governance, quality and accreditation within Egypt’s healthcare system, particularly through the country’s universal health insurance program, which has emerged as a regional model aligned with international standards. Taha thanked Egypt’s political leadership and government for supporting healthcare reform, saying the universal health insurance system demonstrated that comprehensive health reform could be achieved through political will and scientific planning, despite challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic pressures. The council also commended health initiatives in Libya, Tunisia and Algeria, and called for sharing their experiences among member states.

The director of the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO), Amjad al-Shawa, said that recent UN reports – particularly the Phase Classification of Food Security report – reveal alarming indicators regarding the Gaza Strip’s humanitarian situation. Israel continues to restrict the entry of aid, particularly that related to the integrated food supply chain, which directly impacts the health of children, women, and the most vulnerable groups, he warned. Shawa added that the crisis is not limited to food, but extends to health, water, psychological well-being, and shelter. He pointed out that the medical supplies entering the Gaza Strip do not exceed 10 percent of the actual needs, amidst a drug shortage estimated at approximately 52 percent of the essential medicines list. The recent impact of storms in the Gaza Strip highlight the scale of the humanitarian collapse and confirm that famine persists in various forms, given Israel’s failure to fulfill its humanitarian obligations.

The Justice Department released thousands of files related to sex offender and accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein in a much-anticipated document dump Friday. The documents are not everything the Justice Department has; it said Friday it will continue rolling them out in the coming weeks. For one, the Justice Department didn’t release all the documents, as was required by the deadline Friday, 30 days after Congress passed its law. A Justice Department spokesman, Gates McGavick, in a post on X identified someone in a hot tub with Clinton as a “victim.”(It’s worth noting that the Justice Department says it didn’t just redact victims.) We’ll see if that continues to be the case in future document dumps, or if the Clinton photos were frontloaded.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly affirmed Egypt’s steadfast support for Lebanon – its leadership, government, and people – and its continued commitment to assisting Lebanon as it faces exceptional challenges on all levels. Madbouly’s remarks came on Friday during a joint press conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Government Palace in Beirut, following extensive talks between delegations from both countries. The Egyptian PM said that Egypt views Lebanon as a cornerstone of stability in the Levant and will spare no effort in its tireless endeavors to keep the country away from any escalation. Madbouly added that Egypt reaffirms its firm stance against Israel’s repeated violations of Lebanese territory, including occupying parts of it. Egypt affirms that Lebanon’s stability and national unity are integral to the security and stability of the entire Arab region, the Prime Minister said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Russia and Egypt are in talks to expand direct air traffic between the two countries, particularly flights to Egyptian tourist resorts. Speaking at a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Friday, Lavrov said that Egyptian resorts have been among the most popular tourist destinations for Russian citizens for many years. He confirmed that work is currently underway to increase the number of direct flights between Russia and tourist destinations in Egypt. RT reported on Friday that these discussions come to help strengthen bilateral relations between Moscow and Cairo, particularly in the areas of tourism and air transport, as Russian tourism represents a significant contributor to the Egyptian tourism sector. This approach also reflects a shared desire to revitalize travel and support economic and tourism exchange in the coming period.

The head of Egypt’s State Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, denied any plans for an imminent meeting between President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The politicization of the gas deal with Israel is being carried out by the Israeli side, led by Netanyahu, Rashwan said. He noted that no Egyptian official had spoken about the deal, unlike in Israel where the highest political levels are discussing it. Netanyahu is seeking a way out of his current political isolation, which is driving him to try to politicize this issue, he explained. Egypt cannot be pressured in any way through the gas deal, he added, pointing out that during the years of Gaza war, Egypt maintained its position without budging a single inch.

Egypt has been unanimously elected to hold the co-presidency of the Mediterranean Animal Health Network (REMESA) for 2026 and will host the organisation’s annual conference in December of that year. According to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, the selection follows regional assessment of Egypt’s role in animal health and regional cooperation. Hamed El-Aqans, Chairperson of the General Organisation for Veterinary Services, stated during the meeting that Egypt is committed to the “One Health” approach to address transboundary diseases. The chairman emphasised the role of the network in coordinating regional responses and facilitating the exchange of information and expertise between member states. The Mediterranean Animal Health Network was established in 2009 to improve animal health and coordinate the surveillance and control of transboundary animal diseases.